Cursed or not, the Pittsburgh Penguins' blue alternate jerseys are gone for good.

The franchise has ditched the sweaters they first wore at the 2011 Winter Classic, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. They were on the way out after the regular season, anyway, but Pittsburgh opted to pull the plug a little early.

Here's a refresher course on one possible line of thinking behind the decision:

With that in mind, Sidney Crosby was released from the hospital on Monday night after breaking his jaw in the jersey's last-ever appearance Saturday afternoon. The NHL's leading scorer and presumptive MVP is expected to miss about four weeks and return at the end of the regular season.

Pittsburgh has worn blue-heavy alternates since the 2007 Winter Classic, a game Crosby managed to make through without seriously injuring himself. Here's a potential starting point for whatever they cook up for the 2013-14 season: